Breaking the Rules (13 page)

He looked confused. “You can’t throw everything away just like that. If this is about last night, well, I was drunk and obnoxious. I’m sorry I got a little out of hand.”

“You got more than a little out of hand, but that’s not what this is all about. Not completely, anyway.”

“It’s this game, isn’t it? I shouldn’t have talked you into playing when you were so against it. I’ll leave with you. We’ll go back to the way things used to be.”

“You don’t want that.” She pulled off his sunglasses and stared into his eyes. “You don’t want to marry me any more than I want to marry you. We both fell into that scenario because…” She shook her head. “I don’t know, because it seemed to be
expected
of us, I guess. Because it was easy and familiar and safe. The problem is, James, easy and familiar and safe isn’t always right.” Claire exhaled noisily. “Sometimes challenging and different and risky is what makes life worth living. I just didn’t know it until I came on this show. So, maybe I should thank you for coercing me to be a contestant.”

He glanced down at his fingers before meeting her gaze again. “What about Prairie Feed and Tackle?”

“Roger Milhouse is always offering to buy us out.”

James scowled. “For peanuts. He’ll pay off our debt with only a few dollars to spare.”

“Right now I’d take peanuts to get out from under it. You and Roger get along. He’d make a good partner. I’ll sell him my half of the business for half the peanuts and pay off half the debt. How’s that?”

“I couldn’t stay on without you, Claire.”

She made a face. “Come on, James. No more crap. If you want out, don’t blame me. I’m going to have a hard enough time explaining things to my own parents; don’t bring yours down on me, too. You have your own reasons for bailing. Be honest.” She slipped the sunglasses back onto his swollen nose. “Might they have something to do with Hollywood?”

James’s lip twitched. He grinned. “What if they do?”

She laughed. “Then I think you should go for it. I’ll give old Roger a call just as soon as I get home.”

After thinking that over for about half a minute, he asked, “What will you do?”

“Me?” Claire shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll spend my time chasing rainbows.”

Chapter Twelve

As Claire carried her suitcase into the living area of her cabana the next morning, a knock sounded at the door. The bellman, she guessed, coming for her bags. Her plane was scheduled to leave in a couple of hours. She’d been offered a flight yesterday evening at five. Mitch’s flight. So she’d declined, saying she needed more time to pack.

“Come in,” Claire called out. “It’s unlocked.”

She set her suitcase on the sofa, then glanced over her shoulder to find Michael Hawkins at her door.

“Hello, Miss Mulligan.”

“Now, this is what I call personal service.
Eden’s
executive producer escorting me to my plane.”

Hawkins seemed taken aback by her appearance. He’d noticed the swollen, red-rimmed eyes, she supposed, choking down another wave of emotion. She’d been drowning in tears ever since the clock struck five p.m. yesterday.

He closed the door. “I’m not here as an escort.”

A sense of foreboding sifted through her. Had something happened to Mitch? Or had they decided not to let her out of her contract? “What can I do for you, then?”

“I took your dare and watched Mr. Talbott’s video.”

Her heartbeat sped up. “And?”

Hawkins lifted a hand and for the first time she noticed what he held. “Now I’m daring you to watch this.”

For a moment she didn’t move. What could he possibly have that she needed to see? Footage of James with Darla? With other women? Was he hoping to make her so angry she’d opt to stay and fight, thereby boosting his silly program’s ratings when it aired? “Nothing you can show me that’s happened during my time here will make me change my mind about leaving the island.”

Smiling, he lifted the disc higher. “Watch it. I have a feeling you won’t be sorry.”

For a full minute after Hawkins had gone, Claire stared at the disc. Finally she turned and walked to the armoire in front of the sofa. She opened the doors, exposing the television set inside and the DVD player on top of it. Claire turned on the equipment, popped the disc in, then sat down to watch.

The screen flickered to life, and Mitch’s face appeared. She recognized his surroundings. He sat in the confession booth where she’d sat herself this past week and a half more times than she cared to remember.

“Um…hi,” Mitch said with an awkward laugh. “Bear with me. It’s strange being on the opposite side of the lens.” He cleared his throat. “I came on
Eden
hoping I’d meet someone who would change my life. That person was Michael Hawkins. As you know, my dream for a long time has been to meet the great Hawkeye president. To have him view my work and find it worthy enough that he’d hire me for his upcoming project in Africa. I never imagined for a second that it wouldn’t be Michael Hawkins who changed my life, but a sea goddess. Aphrodite herself.” He smiled, flashing that dimple she loved so much.

“That’s you, Claire,” he said. “When you emerged from the ocean, everything changed for me.”

Claire pressed a hand to her mouth.

Mitch blinked and cleared his throat again. “Claire…you know I’m not good with romantic stuff. What I’m trying to say is that, in a very short time, you’ve come to mean more than anything else to me. Thanks to you, Hawkins just offered me the chance to go after my dream.” Mitch looked down at his hands, then slowly up again. “You told me recently that you always wished you had the nerve to chase rainbows. Well, here’s your chance, Claire. Go with me. Hawkins is hiring people in all areas to work behind the scenes. You’ve run your own business. He assured me he could use someone with your management skills. The pay may not be great, but you’ll learn a lot. And think of the adventure you’ll have…the adventure we’ll have together. Your heart’s not in the feed and tackle business. Anyone can see that.”

“Oh, my God,” Claire whispered.

He leaned forward. “But I want you to know that if you aren’t willing to go, that I won’t go either. I’ll move to Prairie and hire on at the five-and-dime taking photos of babies, if that’s what it’ll take to have you in my life.” He sat back again. “So…that’s all I wanted to say. Think about it, Claire. Just don’t think too long. If we’re going to Africa, we have to leave in two weeks. Whatever you decide, though, just turn around. I’ll be there.”

The video ended, leaving only a static-filled screen. Claire closed her eyes. “Oh, my God,” she whispered again, ending with a squeak. She took a tissue from the pocket of her slacks and blew her nose.

“Claire—”

At the sound of Mitch’s voice behind her, she twisted and jumped to her feet. He stood in the doorway, a deep, vertical groove between his eyebrows conveying his worry.

“There’s one more important thing I forgot to confess.”

She blew her nose again as he rounded the sofa to meet her. “Oh, really? What’s that?”

“I’m falling in love with you, Claire.” Mitch’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Once. Twice. Again. “What do you have to say about that?”

His arms opened wide. Claire walked into them. “I say, let’s go chase a rainbow.”

About the Author

Jennifer Archer is the author of eleven novels, three novellas, and numerous non-fiction works. She has been a finalist twice for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award, a finalist for the prestigious Rita Award, and a nominee for an RT Book Reviews Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award. Her novels range in tone from humorous to dark, from adult romance to young adult fiction, but all have one thing in common – emotion. She has taught creative writing and has presented numerous talks and workshops for educators, students, writers' organizations and bookstores. Jennifer loves to hear from readers through her website and blog at
www.jenniferarcher.net
.

Look for these titles by Jennifer Archer

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Once Upon a Dream

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Body and Soul

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Can the answer to her curse lie in the dreams of the past?

Once Upon A Dream

© 2012 Jennifer Archer

When Professor Alex Simon moves to Canyon, Texas from England, he welcomes the opportunity to change his locale. Not only would he be aiding his recently widowed sister, but he would have a chance to forget a failed relationship.
 

Robin Wise is less than impressed by her new neighbor– and his little devil-cat. The feline taunts her dog, and its stuffy owner has the gall to blame her pup for the squabbles. But at a second glance, Alex isn't quite as nerdy as he seems. As a matter of fact, when he isn't insulting her dog, he can be quite charming.
 

But Robin has her own problems. An inherited curse looms over her impending thirtieth birthday, and until Robin can overcome the hex, she can't indulge in any fantasy she might have regarding the more-perfect-by-the-minute professor. No matter how she wishes she had the courage to act on the awakened desire in her heart.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Once Upon a Dream:

Alex began his usual bedtime ritual: floss three minutes, brush two, gargle one. Then he told himself Johnny Amigo wouldn’t preoccupy himself with such finicky grooming habits. So, disgusted by his own tendencies, he turned his back on his dental floss and went to bed.

But the beer he’d consumed tasted stale in his mouth, and he couldn’t sleep. So, ten minutes after turning out the light, he rose again and resigned himself to resuming the habitual routine.

He still couldn’t sleep.

For the second time, Alex got up. He opened the window wider, hoping fresh air and the sounds of the summer rain shower would do the trick. He couldn’t quit thinking about the caller who’d followed him on Doctor Dave’s radio program. Finally…a woman who claimed to understand him, and he’d never know who she was. Just his luck.

Her fears were as illogical as his own. More so. As an academic, a professor of both botany and entomology, Alex didn’t believe in curses and other such superstitions. Still, he could understand how a woman, even an intelligent one, with the caller’s family history might become obsessed with such beliefs, logical or not. Although she was a stranger, for some reason, he wished he could help, that he could convince her the so-called curse could only hurt her if she believed in it.

Giving up on sleep, Alex switched on the bedside lamp and sat up. He reached for Amigo’s Justice, the second book in the Johnny Amigo trilogy. The first in the series had been checked out, so he had yet to read it. If Alex couldn’t rescue the damsel in distress on the radio, he guessed he might as well see how Johnny fared with his damsel.

After readjusting and plumping the pillows beneath his shoulders, Alex slipped on his glasses and started to read. Fifteen minutes later, his eyes drifted shut. Amigo’s Justice slipped from his fingers, slid down his bare stomach, then toppled to the floor.

A breeze rippled the bedroom curtains, but Alex was unaware. He didn’t see the blue butterfly flutter into the room through the tiny hole in the window screen. At first the butterfly settled on the pillow beside Alex’s head. But after a moment, it perched atop his nose, causing a tickle and making him sneeze.

And Alex dreamed…

Breaking the Rules

Jennifer Archer

Sometimes love is worth breaking all the rules.

When Claire Mulligan’s fiancé decides they should become contestants on the popular reality show
Eden
to win money to save their failing business, she reluctantly agrees. But once filming starts, James seems more interested in the other female contestants than her.

After an impulsive attempt to draw his attention, Claire finds herself naked on the beach during a total island blackout. But instead of James, cameraman Mitch Talbott comes to her rescue. He can’t see her; she can’t see him. But the sparks they generate light up the night.

When morning comes and Claire has disappeared, Mitch decides it’s worth breaking the rules to find his mysterious sea maiden. But will he be able to convince Claire to forget about James and take a risk on him?

This Retro Romance reprint was originally part of the Heat Wave anthology published by Love Spell in June 2003.

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.